It's Not Over Before It's Too Late
by M.L. Widmann
Summary: Sequel to 'You Can't Blame Me For Hating It! The war has begun, and by disconnecting from her family, Sara hopes to keep them safe while she keeps herself safe with Fred and George. Look out for the sequel to this one: She Talks to Rainbows!
1. Sectumsempra

**Disclaimer: **I know – I don't own anything from the Harry Potter books by JKR. You don't have to rub it in. But I _do_ own Sara, Lizzy and the plotline you don't recognize – ah ha, take that!

**Author's Note:** Again, a huge thanks to my readers and reviewers who keep me oh-so motivated to keep writing this story! As for those who don't review – you should start. It'll help me to improve the things you may not like, or it'll reassure me to keep doing what I'm doing. That's what this site is for, after all! I hope you enjoy the fourth instalment of my five-part Sara/Fred Weasley fanfiction!

**Part IV: **

**It's Not Over Before It's Too Late**

"_**It's not over 'til you're underground; it's not over before it's too late." –Green Day**_

Chapter One: Sectumsempra

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" Dad asked; his hand was heavy on my shoulder. I had just informed my family that I couldn't visit home anymore. With the war beginning, I had many people telling me to cut off all ties with the people I loved. Fred knew I wasn't including him in that generalization. Our engagement symbolized more than a love unity; it was a unity of two people – body, mind and soul – and we'd be together until the end of this ghastly war.

"Dad, I'll be fine. I promise." My stomach jolted after giving such a promise I wasn't sure I could keep. "But you have to make me a promise now."

"What is it, dear?" My mother interjected. "Anything, we'll do anything." She was definitely in panic-mode now that the war was starting. Dad was the calm one.

"I need you to not owl me." They were shocked at the initial oddness of the request, but Dad understood. "I'm not your daughter."

"Why are you doing this?" The young voice I'd expected from Lizzy never came; the childish voice had been casually replaced by a more grown-up, feminine one. She was fourteen. I almost forgot.

There was a pit in my stomach, but I fought passed it. "I'm too close to the Weasleys now – who are like Harry's family... if they come after his brothers, they'll be after me, too."

"Why can't you cut Fred out instead of us?" Mum blabbered as quickly as her tongue could move.

"Jennifer," Dad had to calm her down. "She's got to fight with them."

"But..." she'd begun blubbering.

"Are you forgetting she's an adult now? Sara has to do this."

"It's for the good of wizardkind." I pointed out, trying to convince her. "I will be fine." With some last final hugs and wet, sloppy kisses, I stood unconfidently in the middle of the living room. "I love you. And I'll update you if anything happens, I promise." The last thing I saw before Apparating away from my home was the warm image of my father holding Mum and Lizzy – both of whom had tears in their eyes that just didn't seem to want to fall.

Instead of going to the shop in Diagon Alley, I'd been instructed to go back to the Burrow and meet everyone there. The pop my Apparation had made signified my arrival, and Mrs. Weasley came bustling into the kitchen.

"Sara dear, I'm glad you came." Her usual happy tone had been eradicated. "If you want any..."

"I'm not hungry, thanks Mrs. Weasley."

The shaky woman before me nodded shortly and led me into the living room. "They're all at Harry's aunt and uncle's house right now," she explained, sitting on the sofa next to me. "They'll be arriving shortly, I suppose." I couldn't imagine what she must have been feeling; her sons were out trying to get Harry here safely without Apparating (the Death Eaters were tracking every possible mode of transportation except flying) and she had no idea if they would return securely, if at all. My heart was probably racing just as much as hers, but my concern lay in a much different field. "How did it go with your parents?"

She knew. "Not well." I admitted, letting my head hang from my shoulders. "My mum was blubbering all over the place, Dad was trying to hold it together for her and Lizzy... it was just a big, hot mess."

"I'm sorry to hear that, dear. They'll realize eventually that this is for the best."

"Yeah, I suppose."

Mrs. Weasley wrapped her arms around me. "You know Arthur and I will always be here if you need a parental figure's say... you're practically our daughter already, aren't you?" She finished her spiel with a giggle, forcing one out of me.

"I guess I am." It didn't take long for my smile to be eaten up by the darkness in the atmosphere. Ginny came down the stairs and sat on the sofa adjacent to us, unable to look more terrified. We exchanged forced smiles and I turned back to Mrs. Weasley. "Where will everyone else be joining us from?"

"Harry's taking a Portkey from Tonk's place with Hagrid... should be here any..." Ginny was cut off by a whirring sound and a large bang. "Did that come from the kitchen?" She didn't wait for an answer before jumping up and running toward the sound; I followed quickly. Never before had I been so happy to see him.

"Harry!" I was surprised when he approached me first over Ginny, but I didn't speculate.

He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed. "Gods Sara, I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"What happened, Harry?" Ginny sounded panicked as he gave her a quick hug and backed away from her. I didn't stick around long enough to hear, for the door had just busted open, revealing two very familiar faces. I'd only met Remus Lupin a few times while we resided in 12 Grimmauld Place, but I didn't need anyone to tell me what a Weasley twin looked like.

"George!" I dashed over to the door and was about ready to leap into George's arms, but there was an obstruction – Lupin held me back with the arm that wasn't supporting George. That's when I realized he wasn't okay. "What's wrong with him, Professor Lupin?"

"I'm no longer a professor, Sara; it's just Lupin." He explained as he helped George over to a sofa in the living room and lay him down gingerly. I never left his side. "George has been hit by a spell..."

"Sectumsempra." Hermione's voice only scared me because it was unexpected. "It was Snape." My stomach jolted again at his name; the professor I looked up to most was a Death Eater, had killed Dumbledore, and attacked my best friend.

"At least he only got my ear." George's ear had obviously experienced an attempted recovery, but it was probably a dark spell and therefore couldn't be fixed.

"Sweet Circe, George! There's a huge hole where your ear was!"

"I'm holey." He joked.

As a hand landed on my shoulder, Fred's voice sounded. "With all the ear-related humour in the world, you go for holey?"

"Is everyone here?" I asked, grasping Fred's hand as tightly as I could without turning around. "Everyone's okay?"

A silence after the question made my nerves have a fit. Hermione was the one to answer. "Mostly."

"Mostly?" I asked rather moodily. "Who...?"

"Moody." Hermione cut in sharply. "Moody got... attacked by Voldemort."

"At-attacked? Is he all right?" When no one answered right away, I didn't need them to. I just nodded and looked at the floor. Alastor Moody was one of the best Aurors I'd ever met. The fact that he'd been taken down led to an earth-quaking realization that things were about to get very rough.


	2. Hope for the Best

Chapter Two: Hope for the Best

"How's George doing?" I wondered aloud as I checked my outfit in the full-length mirror in Ginny's room; I was staying with her for the week.

I didn't expect Fred to respond with a soft, "He's fine." I swivelled on the spot to see Fred wearing his nicest dress robes – thankfully no more magenta. The Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes uniform had always given me migraines. It was nice to see him in a solid black robe for a change. "You look beautiful, by the way."

I was wearing a light sundress for the occasion. The pale purple cotton was supposed to make people happy during these dark times and help focus on the wedding. "Thanks, you don't look so bad yourself."

Fred's smile turned into a snigger. "Bill's having a ruddy heart attack. It's hilarious." I burst out laughing.

"I would imagine so. Fleur would be a terrifyingly high maintenance wife, wouldn't you think?"

His laughter grew at the sound of my question. "All we can do now is wish him luck and hope for the best, yeah?"

"Yeah." Fred looked at his wristwatch and jerked his head toward the bedroom door.

"I think we should go."

The wedding was held in the large field just outside the Burrow. I couldn't believe just how many people showed up – it was reassuring that this many people were willing to come out when the Wizarding world was in such jeopardy. The sun falling behind the hill cast a beautiful ray of dim light over the dance floor which Ron and Hermione seemed to be enjoying together.

Fred and I sat at a table under a large, silky tent watching his little brother dancing with the girl he's probably fancied for the past three years. I knew it, everyone else knew it, why couldn't they? Considering all that made me think of something, and I asked Fred without thinking twice.

"When did you realize you loved me?"

He wasn't taken aback by the question at all. "You mean when did I know I fancied you?"

"No," I wanted to make sure he knew exactly what I meant. "Not fancied – love. When did you know you _loved_ me?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering."

It was quiet between us for a minute, making me confident he was actually thinking about it before spitting out the first thing on his mind. Then he smiled and said, "That day you came with me to the hospital to visit Dad after he was attacked."

Now it was my moment to think. "Fred, we barely spent any time together that whole day. I was off with Neville and his parents, as a matter of fact."

He nodded quickly, his rebuttal already prepared. "Yeah, but it's when I realized I loved you. It was like you were already part of the family; you came with me to make sure we were all okay; I realized how much you cared about me, and that's when I realized my feelings for you weren't just any old infatuation." Fred kissed my forehead and then beamed back at me. "What about you?"

"I don't know," I was still blushing and looking at the ground from his answer. "I think I started to really love you... when you left school."

Fred started laughing. "Really?" he choked out.

I smiled at him. "Yeah! Why are you laughing?"

"I don't remember my leaving school being a moment of your extreme support, do you?"

"Okay, I didn't support it very much, sure; but once you left, I realized how much I took advantage of the time you were with me, and I really missed you."

He scanned the dance floor and must have found there were too little people occupying it, because he shook his head and grabbed my hand. "Let's dance."

Dancing with Fred this time was a lot like the first time, he didn't step on my feet, he didn't spin me until I was dizzy, and he made me feel like I was the most beautiful girl on the dance floor – even more so than the bride. Suddenly, the song changed and Fred's feet planted on the spot, bringing me to a halt.

"Sorry Fred, do you mind?" Neville asked, giving me a smile.

Fred noticed how my smile grew at the sight of my best friend, so he had no objections. "No, go right ahead."

When he had left, I leapt into Neville's arms, giving him a giant bear hug. "How have you been?" I hadn't seen him since Dumbledore's funeral, which was quite a while for us.

"I'm alright, getting nervous, you know?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

"So," he smiled at me as we slowly rotated on the spot. "What's new?" I looked side to side as a smirk broke onto my face and I held up my left hand. It wasn't a spectacular or elaborate ring, but it got my message across. "Blimey Sara, you got engaged?"

"I got engaged!" I grinned and stomped my feet as he embraced me tighter.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you!"

But our moment was cut short when a flash of silver light engulfed the centre of the dance floor. A panther patronus with Kingsley Shacklebolt's booming voice spoke, making my heart race. "The Death Eaters know..."

Fred didn't let me listen to the rest of his message. "Sara, we've got to go!" And immediately, we had Disapparated from the scene. Before I knew it, we were standing in our bedroom in the flat.

"What in the bloody _hell_ just happened?" I shrieked. Fred put his hand over my mouth to keep me quiet, but I pushed him off. "Hey!"

"Sara, shush!"

Not long after, two more pops indicated George and Katie had just gotten home. "What was that?" Katie asked. George hushed her and pulled her into the living room so they could talk.

"Oh, I knew this would happen..." Fred muttered. He fell back into the couch and let his face get swallowed by his palms. "I knew it..."

"What?" I sat next to him. "What was that?"

"They were on their way – the Death Eaters. We've got to mind our own business... stay away from them, from everyone else... go into hiding."

"Hiding?"

"Sara, this is it. The war has already started."


	3. So Much for So Little

Chapter Three: So Much for So Little

Little over a week had passed since the incident at Bill and Fleur's wedding. At least, I think it was over a week; I was beginning to lose track of time, as one often does when they haven't left their flat in so long. Unfortunately, four people cooped up in a flat and hiding from Death Eaters quickly led to a food shortage.

"What happens now?" Katie asked, cuddling into George on the sofa. We'd been stretching all the food we had, hoping it would last forever and knowing it wouldn't. The day had finally come where the cupboards had been bone dry for almost twenty-four hours and we had no idea of how to refill them.

George shrugged as much as he could with her weight on his shoulder. "I dunno, Katie..."

"Well, we have to get food somehow!" Fred's temper was growing short with every day we'd been locked above the shop. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes had been closed down to make the appearance that it had been abandoned. I put my arm over Fred and drew him closer to me, away from the other couple on the sofa. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't've shouted..." He hung his head.

"Forget it, Fred." I agreed. "You're right; we need to get food."

Katie repeated her question once more. "So what are we supposed to do?"

Without hesitation, George spoke up. "I'll go."

"George, don't be ridiculous." I shook my head profusely.

"I'm not!"

"You're mad."

"How?"

I couldn't believe he was being so thick – this wasn't like George. "Your brother is well-known as Harry's best friend. If anyone wanted to get to him, they could easily do it through one of you."

"How would they know?" he disputed, but he didn't really have reason to; he wasn't going to win this one. I wouldn't let him.

I rolled my eyes. "Right, your bright red hair isn't a dead giveaway."

George pouted and curled into Katie's side. "I know; I just... I just wish I could help without getting us into more trouble."

"I think if anyone should go it should be me."

"Sara!" Fred was quick to argue. He didn't understand that no matter what came out of his mouth, and no matter how good he thought his points were I would not let him risk his life and the lives of many others just for me and Katie.

"No, Fred!" I found myself shouting, but it had to be done. "We'll go out. You're not leaving."

"Why not? I don't want you getting hurt!"

"I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU RISK SO MUCH FOR SO LITTLE."

There was an awkward silence before he piped up again. "Is that what you think you are? 'So little'?"

"Fred, you know that's not what I meant..."

"Sure."

I glowered at him for a short moment before tugging at Katie's arm and successfully pulling her off the couch. "Come on, Katie. Let's go to the market."

Our trip to the market did not end, as Fred had imagined, in horrible pain and suffering. We got back to the flat above their shop and put everything where it would keep. Fred and George were nowhere to be found.

Feeling kind of guilty in the way we'd left, I called out his name in hopes of reconciliation. "Fred! Fred, where are you?"

"Blimey Sara, quiet! Get in here, both of you!" George opened my bedroom door, and we scampered right on in. The twins occupied the bed, but they sat up to make room for us.

"What are you doing in here?" Katie asked, scanning the place. We rarely let anyone peer through the door, so this was really her first glimpse into our world. "Are you hiding?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Fred said sarcastically. "While you were out, we got a lovely visit from some Death Eaters."

I gasped. It was getting difficult to breathe. "What?"

"They didn't come in, but they passed by the shop and looked inside. We were looking out the window. I think they think we're here." Katie clung to George as he explained what happened. She was obviously terrified.

My heart was pounding. "What does that mean?"

"It means this war is getting serious – and we may be in danger." The information Fred passed onto me made me choke.

Unexpectedly, Katie looked up from the spot on the comforter she'd been focusing on and spoke. "I have to go home." I could see the heartbreak in George's eyes. "I'm sorry... you have to understand. If we're not safe here, I... I have to go home to my parents."

George swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. "You can go if you want, yeah. But we're going to be setting up security here," he looked at Fred and I to make sure we were in agreement with that decision. "No Apparating in or out, hiding the flat so it looks like it doesn't exist..." he bobbed his head up and down again to reassure himself these were good ideas. "I'll visit you soon and if you want to come back, you can come back with me. If not, I'll see you."

Katie gave me a hug and kissed George one last time on the lips before Disapparating from our sights.


	4. Just Helping

Chapter Four: Just Helping

"I have to see her." Three weeks had passed and George tried to make us believe that he wasn't missing Katie; he was doing a very bad job. Every time we saw him in his room, he was holding onto a shirt she'd left behind – hugging it, smelling it... I pitied the man, really.

One day, I just couldn't take it anymore. "George," I said, sitting on his bed next to him. "You should go visit her." He raised his eyes to meet mine and verify I was not saying this haphazardly. "I'm serious. You need to visit Katie."

"But what about you and Fred?"

"We'll be fine," I forced a smile. It felt odd stretching the muscles I hadn't used in months. "We can hold up the fort here while you go see her."

He hesitated. I didn't blame him. "Are you sure?"

"Yes – go, now!"

George reached forward in his sitting position and gave me the best hug he could master. "Thanks, Sara, really..."

"Go!" I found myself laughing as he dashed out the room and made his way out of the shop. That felt strange. Nowadays, laughs were hard to come by. Once the door shut behind George, I heard a loud crack; after Katie's departure, the three of us had made it impossible for anyone to Apparate or Disapparate directly inside of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. It was an extra safety precaution – just like how we'd casted a charm on our front door to make it blend in with the shop's walls.

Fred and I lay on the bed, just staring at the ceiling. I don't remember the last time we'd let any light shine through the place. The sunlight that managed to sneak through the curtains fell on the ceiling and crept down the wall. I traced its streak with my eyes as the two of us exchanged stories in a volume that was barely above a whisper.

"How do you think your Mom is handling this?" I asked, my eyes not leaving the sun-streak.

"She's a bloody mess, I reckon."

"I don't doubt that."

Fred continued to stare at the light on the ceiling as if he'd never seen light before. "What about your parents?"

I held back a laugh. "They were going mad before this sodding war even started. I can't even imagine... well, I mean, I warned them it might get like this – told them not to owl or anything..."

"Good thing they know not to or we might get some unwanted attention."

"Speaking of unwanted attention, I'm assuming Ron, Hermione and Harry aren't going back to Hogwarts this year."

Fred chuckled half-heartedly. "Not a chance. They've dropped out to do something Dumbledore started them on... At least, that's what I understood from Ron's rambling speech before the wedding..."

We couldn't have been sitting in silence for more than two seconds after Fred's last sentence had drifted off when a loud crash from downstairs pulsed through the shop – including our apartment above it. We jolted upright almost instantly.

My jaw dropped open but no sound came out. I wanted to just shout, 'WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT?' but instead my eyes grew wide and stared at Fred as though he had the answer. He obviously did not, as he seemed to be searching for it in our bed sheets.

"What could it be?" I mouthed, hoping he understood.

He mouthed back, "Maybe George?" though intuition told us both it wasn't.

Another deafening crash sounded, but this time it was much closer to our spot in the bedroom. "Search every room!" a gruff voice instructed. The number of feet stamping was undetermined, but by the sound of it, there had to be at least four or five of them. Fred and I had just enough time to draw our wands before the bedroom door pounded open and a fairly young wizard approached. He had to be maybe a few years older than us.

"In here!" he bellowed, signalling the rest of his friends to storm into the room. Five men in long robes were blocking the door to our bedroom, and we had make Disapparation impossible. There was nowhere to turn.

I wanted to be brave, but my fear had already flattened me to the wall. I held my wand confidently outward, as thought that somehow made up for the frightened look on my face. Fred stepped in front of me and held out his wand alongside mine. "What do you want?"

I knew they couldn't be Death Eaters; they didn't have the masks like the ones in the Department of Mysteries. The coarse-voiced, and oldest, wizard of the group spoke. "We're from the Ministry of Magic."

"May I ask what Department?" Fred asked. I could tell he was putting on a brassy, bold exterior – one his interior could not match. It was hard to be sincere when all five of the much more experienced wizards had their wands out, ready to fire any spells they pleased at us.

The man sneered. "Why bother yourself with such trivialities?"

"My father works for the Ministry, I was just wondering..."

"I know." The man cut him off. "That's why we're here."

"My father?" I was terrified Fred would hate the response. Fortunately, it wasn't as bad as I thought.

"We know you are working with Potter."

I found myself stepping forward so I was next to Fred. "We haven't seen him in ages! We have no idea where he is!" I shouted, not really thinking of its repercussions.

He ignored me and just kept talking. "We could easily take your whole family in for... questioning." I knew he meant the Imperius Curse, but I didn't want to throw that out in the open. "But it has come to our attention you carry shielding gear."

"Uh, ye-yes." Fred stammered. "What do you...?"

"Give us all you have and we won't turn you in."

"Don't do it." I whispered in his ear. "They're working for _him_. You'll just be helping..."

Fred gulped so loudly, it cut the tension in the room. "Take what you want, just don't hurt my family."

A flock of four of them dashed out of the room and could be heard running back down the spiral staircase to the shop. The wizard that had found them first stuck around long enough to squeal, "Good little Weasley!"

When we were alone, my knees finally gave out. I lay limp on the floor, trying to collect my thoughts on what had just happened; Fred punched the wall in a fit of rage. "Shit! Shit, shit, shit..." It didn't take long before he was on the floor with me, hugging my head to his chest. "I'm so sorry, Sara... I'm so sorry..."

Fred and I were so shaken from the incident that we didn't notice the streak of sunlight on the ceiling narrow ever so slowly until it disappeared into the darkness of the flat.


	5. Protect the Ones We Love

Chapter Five: Protect the Ones We Love

George had returned with Katie only two days after our encounter with the Ministry. Initially, they were shocked to learn what had happened, and both of them were on opposite ends of the spectrum.

"Are you two okay?" Katie panicked and lifted my arm as though I was hiding something under my armpit. She practically moved halfway around the dining room table to grab me, so I pulled my chair just out of her reach. Just thinking about the situation made me mope.

Fred laughed and shook his head before shovelling a spoonful of peas between his lips. "We're fine!" He choked out through his mouthful of food. Once he'd swallowed, he added, "No one got hurt; we're both still here, aren't we?"

George, on the other hand, was very calm. "I'm just happy you're both alright."

"Why aren't you more concerned about this – both of you?" I asked, sternly looking from one twin to his earless duplicate.

"What?" George laughed. "We just got robbed; it's not like you died... or lost an appendage."

Fred nodded. "I know what you mean, Sara."

"Thank you!"

"We helped the other side... the Death Eaters and the Ministry..."

"What do you mean?" Katie gaped at the conversation being held. "The Ministry is working with the Death Eaters? What for?"

"They can't stand up for themselves, obviously!" I found myself practically howling. "No one but Harry has the guts to! Though he doesn't really have a choice in the matter, does he..."

As the mood lightened, the four of us climbed on top of our respective chairs and leaned closer toward the centre of the dining table to discuss what would be considered an unthinkable topic, but to us was just another chat about some old friends.

"Any ideas as to where _those three_ are right now?" I didn't want to say their names as a precaution. The Ministry had already put a taboo on the word 'Voldemort', who knows what else they'd have done by that point. "I reckon they've practically left the country."

George nodded and smirked. "Be smart to. She'd think of it for them."

"Isn't that how it usually works?" Fred sniggered, causing my own laughter. "You know if they get caught, it's going to be _his_ fault, not hers."

Katie and George had failed to stifle a giggle fit about the youngest Weasley boy. "Hey!" Katie exclaimed in a moment of realization, bringing her laughter to a halt. "Do you think since those three aren't back at Hogwarts, Dumbledore's Army has finished?"

I instantly thought of the round-faced boy I once met and the man he'd become – and how much I missed him. "I don't think so. I know some of them will want to keep it going."

"Neville, Luna and Ginny would probably do it." Fred knew exactly who I was talking about, but unlike me, he put it bluntly. "I'm surprised mum let her go back this year!"

"Me too, actually." Fred and George often agreed, but this time it was apparent that the conformity was stronger than usual. "Did anyone catch what was happening with her and... her boyfriend before we came here?"

"No idea." I shrugged and leaned harder on my elbows. "Last I saw, he was breaking up with her at the funeral."

"What? Why would he do that?" Katie seemed shocked. "I thought they were happy."

"He loves her. He wanted to save her." George said more like a suggestion. "Isn't that what we're all trying to do right now? Just protect the ones we love..."

I don't know why it took so long for me to comprehend just how dangerous the situation really was, but after that day the Ministry had burst through our door, I couldn't get the visions out of my head. That night, I lay in my bed, curled in a tight ball under the covers unable to stop imagining the possibility of anyone I loved being brutally murdered. It was a war – the worst was bound to happen at some point and I was not prepared.

"Hey, you alright?" I could hear Fred, but he was muffled through the comforter. "Sara, what's wrong?"

Talking with people about my problems didn't tend to solve things; it only made me cry harder. He joined me under the blanket and wrapped himself around the ball that was me. "We're in a war, Fred."

"We are," his voice was stifled as he talked into my thick, messy hair, but I could understand just enough. "We'll be okay, yeah?"

"How do you know that?" I said, choking back another sob. "How do you know we won't get invaded by the Ministry again, or worse, Death Eaters? How do you know one of us won't die, Fred?"

He recognized it as a rhetorical question and just hugged me right. "Oh, Sara..." I wiggled onto my other side so I was facing him and wrapped all four limbs around his body. Something inside of me hoped that the tighter my grip was on him, the less danger the both of us would ultimately be in.


	6. Worried Sick

Chapter Six: Worried Sick

The excitement that usually accompanied Christmastime's approach did not exist this year. Snow falling only added to the cold, stale atmosphere we survived within all these months, and we didn't feel secluded from our families like we would have on any other Christmas throughout our lives – it was just another day.

"I'm sick of this sodding flat." I wasn't normally a complainer, but with everything being in the state it was, I found myself spitting out grievances wherever possible. "I'm sick of sitting on this same sofa, sleeping in the same bed and not seeing anything other than these damn white walls!"

"You want out?" Fred asked as though it was an option.

I just blinked at him and stared for a moment. "Are you out of your mind? We can't..."

"Just step out of the flat and we can Apparate anywhere you want."

"I want to go home."

I felt him watching me, but my eyes were directed firmly at his feet. "What?"

"Not... not my home... _your_... home." The last word squeaked itself out.

Fred wanted nothing more than to smile at me and tell me we could go as soon as possible – it was written all over his face. It was also apparent that he was holding this relief back. "Sara, it'd be more dangerous to go to my house than yours."

"They already let you off the hook!" Truthfully, I knew we were in trouble if we'd gone. "It's just as dangerous staying here. They _know_ we're here!"

He nodded once sharply and took my hand. "Let's go."

We'd decided to pack enough clothes to last a few days, that way we would be around family for the holidays. George and Katie excitedly agreed to come along. I'm sure none of us could stand being in the flat for much longer, anyway.

Apparating onto The Burrow's doorstep nearly gave Mrs. Weasley a heart attack. She was starting the dishes washing themselves when we materialized in front of the window beyond her sink. "Sweet Circe!" she screeched and dropped her wand into the water-filled basin before her. "What are you four doing here?" Mrs. Weasley asked, running out the front door on her right. I wasn't sure if the tone in her voice was enthusiasm or irritation for popping in on her.

"Mum!" Fred engulfed Mrs. Weasley in his arms and buried his face in her shoulder. "How have you been?" He moved out of the way so George could hug and kiss his mother, before she moved over to Katie and me.

"I've been so lonely here all by myself... Worried sick... What a lovely surprise!"

"We've missed you, too, Mum."

"Well come on in! I'll fix some dinner for us."

I was to stay in Ginny's room with Katie while at The Burrow. This wasn't upsetting – it was right next to Fred and George's room and I didn't feel comfortable staying with Fred with his mother right down the hall. Katie told me she'd meet me in our room as she passed by me on the stairs, toothbrush in my hand. On my way back to Ginny's room, I was anticipating Katie to have taken her bed, leaving me with the cot, when a sound caught my attention; someone was crying.

The door one just before Fred and George's was opened just a crack, so I peered through to see what could be the matter. Mrs. Weasley was sitting cross-legged on her bed, a single candle trying its hardest to light the entire room. She was sitting up straight, but weeping uncontrollably into her blanket.

Not thinking before I acted, I slid the door open slowly and stepped inside. "Mrs. Weasley? Are..." I must have startled her, because she looked up and had begun to wipe her eyes – which in turn, startled me. She didn't speak though, so I continued. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes dear, I'm fine." When she sniffled and rubbed her nose on the blanket, I knew she wasn't hiding her sadness.

I sat on the handmade quilt next to her and looked down at her lap. "What are you looking at?"

After sniffling one more, she genuinely laughed. "An old photo album..." As she flipped through the pages, Mrs. Weasley paused at a picture of Ron, Harry and Hermione in what had to be their second or third year at Hogwarts placed just above one of them from the wedding. In both photos, they were laughing and beaming at the camera. Young Harry stood in between Young Ron and Young Hermione, their arms draped childishly over each other's shoulders. In the second photo, Ron and Hermione stood together, leaving a gap between Harry and the two of them, but they were all smiling without a care in the world. I envied the people in these pictures.

She blinked a few more tears from her eyes and looked up at me. "I'm worried about them."

"Me too." It wasn't just sympathy; it was true. Mrs. Weasley had begun to sob into the blanket again and I hugged her tightly, tears escaping the corners of my own eyes.

Our time at The Burrow seemed to pass in a heartbeat. Time flies when you're having fun, and just being out of the shop definitely was a breath of fresh air for all four of us. Before we knew it, we were back at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes with the same old fears and ponderous thoughts weighing us down.

One of the things constantly on my mind tended to slip passed my teeth, pestering everyone in earshot. I know they didn't want to listen to it again, but I couldn't help myself; but I also knew that they understood why I was being so whiney. They would be, too.

"Guys, I miss Neville. I miss Hermione. I miss Lizzy like mad!"

Fred flopped onto the sofa next to me and laid his head in my lap. "I know what you mean about Liz; my incompetent brother is frolicking somewhere in the countryside of Europe right now."

"With no idea if he's safe or not." George interjected.

I appreciated their attempt at making me laugh, but it really wasn't effective. "What do you think they're doing right now?"

Without warning, there was a loud bang on the window. "What was that?" Fred leapt up and yanked the drapes open as George squealed in shock at the unexpected noise. An owl was fluttering frantically before us, and Fred opened the window to let it in.

"You think it's safe?" I asked, but Katie came rushing from the kitchen.

"It's my owl! It's got a letter!" As she pulled the letter from its grip, unrolled the parchment and read, her expression grew more and more discouraging.

There was a long silence and I couldn't take it anymore. I finally asked in a remorseful tone, "Well, what's it say?"

Katie looked up from the parchment, tears filling her big, blue eyes. "Death Eaters killed my parents."


	7. Counting On You

Chapter Seven: Counting on You

Katie had left as soon as she got the news. Fred suggested George go with her, and he did; but once they'd reached her house, she realized she wanted to be alone with her family. George came back and told us the whole thing.

"It was brutal, you two," he explained rubbing his forehead between his forefingers. "Bloody brutal. I hate seeing her cry. I wish there was something I could do, you know?"

I desired to know, to understand the second-hand pain he was experiencing at that moment. Nothing I knew could compare. The death of Katie's parents had brought us back to reality. There was a war. It was happening.

"Errol, what are you doing here?" Fred whispered hoarsely at the bird hovering in front of our window as if it could comprehend his words. He slid open the window and Errol came flying in, smacking his little beak into everything he possibly could before crash-landing on the carpet before the three of us. The letter tied to his leg was highly unsettling. Fred turned back to face George and I. "Who wants to read it?"

"You're already there, you read it!" George argued. He obviously didn't want to be the one to break any bad news.

Fred nodded and untied the letter hesitantly from their owl's claw. He gulped audibly and then read the note. "Fred, George, Sara and Katie," Whoever had written this clearly wasn't aware Katie had left to be with the rest of her family. "Come to Hogwarts immediately." Fred shook his head and re-read the sentence again in shock as though he must have been reading it wrong. A pause and another head-shake confirmed he was right the first time.

"Hogwarts?" I gasped. "Why do we have to go to Hogwarts? I imagine since Dumbledore's death, it's probably gone to the dogs!"

"Not far off, Sara." Fred turned around from his spot on the floor so he was no longer facing us on the bed, but now we could read the letter over his shoulder.

_Fred, George, Sara and Katie,_

_Come to Hogwarts immediately. We will meet in the Great Hall. Come _now. _I'm counting on you._

_Molly Weasley_

The urgency in her letter could not be any clearer. What was going on at Hogwarts?

"How are we to get there if we can't Apparate inside the grounds?" George pointed out the fact knowing it would crush us even worse. "We could Apparate to Hogsmeade and walk?"

George's suggestion answering his own question was plausible, but I had to turn it down. "Sorry mate, but I don't feel comfortable walking all the way from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts; I mean, if the castle's been taken over, who knows where the Death Eaters are, right?"

George hung his head, but Fred perked up straight away. "There's something on the back!"

"What?"

"Look!" He held the letter up to the lit window and there was clearly ink on the other side of the parchment – a hidden message shining through. He flipped it over to reveal the rest of the letter.

_Meet me at the Hog's Head. We'll go from there._

_NL_

I didn't need anyone to tell me whose initials were at the bottom of the page. "We're meeting Neville at the Hog's Head?" George cocked his head to the side. "I don't know, mate. It's _Longbottom_..."

"You weren't there that day at the Department of Mysteries." I fought back for him. "He's not the same kid you knew in sixth year."

They nodded simultaneously and we grabbed each other's hands. I made sure we all had our wands on our person before saying confidently, "To the Hog's Head!"

Apparating directly into the Hog's Head was obviously the safest way to go, but it did give the bartender quite a scare. I couldn't focus on that right now. "Sorry, sir." I said to the old man behind the counter in a panic. "We're supposed to..."

His hoarse voice interrupted me. "I was expecting you."

"What?" I asked sounding a little put off. "You were?"

Fred grasped my hand in both of his own as the man responded. "I was told a girl and a pair of redheaded twins would show up. Actually, it was supposed to be two girls..."

"Katie couldn't make it."

He eyed us as though we were trying to sneak something passed him. "You do fit the description... alright, this way. Come on." The man led us up the stairs and into a room that was completely empty and looked as run down as the rest of the bar – only a painting of a girl with blinding white blonde hair and a lopsided smile.

"Who's that?" George asked.

I smiled at the painting. "It's beautiful – _she's_ beautiful." The girl backed away from us until she was barely a spot on the canvas, then she started moving towards us holding someone's hand – a boy.

Suddenly the boy dropped from the painting looking battered and beaten, but his facial expression suggested otherwise. "Neville!" I practically toppled him over when I ran at him and hugged him until my arms felt like they'd pop out of their sockets. "How are you? Is everything okay? What's going on?"

He laughed half-heartedly at my state of fright. "It's good to see you too, mate. But listen, I have to get you three through this passage here."

Neville gave me a leg up and I clambered through the portrait which, sure enough, led straight to what looked like our old Dumbledore's Army meeting room.

"The Room of Requirement," Neville beamed as he slid out of the portrait on the other side followed shortly by Fred and George. My head was spinning but there was no time to stop. "Let's get to the Great Hall and see everyone else. But stay close; things are about to go haywire." He looked at me and grasped my hand. "Promise me you'll be careful."

I used my other hand to hold onto Fred. "Don't worry; we're all in this together. I'm not going to go far."

The journey to the Great Hall was a lot more eventful than I thought it would be. Running – not walking – down flight after flight of stairs, hoping not to be seen through any windows by the Death Eaters outside, or the creatures who had switched over to Voldemort's side. Only once we had to press ourselves against the wall as a man in a dark cloak passed us, but we made it to the Great Hall.

"They're here, Professor."

The words barely escaped Neville's lips before Professor McGonagall bustled over to the group of us and begun counting our heads. "Professor, there's only..."

"Where's Miss Bell?" No one wanted to answer her, so she asked again. "Mister Weasley, where is she?"

George swallowed and looked her in the eye. "She had to go be with her family, professor. Her parents were murdered by Death Eaters."

McGonagall nodded thoughtfully and moved on. "Mister Longbottom, your grandmother destroyed the passage?"

"Yes, professor."

"Good," she shouted so everyone in the Hall could hear her – and there were a lot of witches and wizards in the Hall. I picked out the entire Order, most of our graduating class and a lot of Hermione's friends. "Everyone! Listen up and listen carefully! We must be prepared to fight... now, if it were up to me, hardly anyone here would be fighting, but you're all of age and I can't stop you." The underage witches and wizards looked around cautiously, knowing what was next. "If you are under the age of seventeen, I refuse you participate in this battle."

"Sara!" The voice was unmistakable. The face was tired but happy. Lizzy ran from the crowd into my arms and scowled at McGonagall. "Sorry professor, but I'm fighting with my sister." I didn't want to let her go; it had been far too long.

"Miss Hughes, I..."

"We're fighting, too!" Ginny cried, throwing her wand up. "Luna and I are not leaving Harry just because we're a year too young."

McGonagall sighed exasperatedly. "Miss Weasley, I really don't..."

That's when a large blast echoed through the Great Hall and an army of Death Eaters stood before us. Nothing could have prepared me for this moment, but it was now or never.


	8. Kneel Before the Dark Lord

Chapter Eight: Kneel Before the Dark Lord

The Death Eaters' grand entrance sent a lot of the people inside the Hall dashing for freedom – including me. Rubble fell from the ceiling and the walls surrounding the doors and everyone who had their try at fleeing dashed through the holes they'd formed in the walls. Hogwarts was literally falling apart; the irony was unsettling.

Completely losing track of Fred, George, Neville or my sister, I ran as fast as I could. I know Mrs. Weasley called me there to fight, but it was instinct – something bad is happening that could kill you, you run. This was nothing like the battle in the Department of Mysteries. This was the Battle of Hogwarts. This was full on war. The result wouldn't affect one person; it would affect every single soul in the wizard world. Pressure was weighing down on my shoulders, so I ran.

It wasn't until I'd reached the fifth floor that I noticed I was being followed by a man in dark, billowing robes and a mask. "Crucio!" The wizard called. I ducked his spell, but I wasn't so lucky to escape the second one. "Crucio!" I crumpled to the floor and began to twitch and jerk my body in ways I didn't even know possible. The pain coursing through every fibre of my being was unbearable and there was nothing I could do to stop it. His eyes leered down on me with a wild authority. I tried to move my tongue to scream, but the sweltering sting was too dominant. "You will kneel before the Dark Lord!"

His speech broke the curse long enough for me to catch my breath. I gasped and allowed the sweet oxygen to fill my lungs, then managed to wobble to my feet. Remembering the spell someone told me the night George got his ear cut off, I pointed my wand at the man and bellowed, "Sectumsempra!" I wasn't sure what that would accomplish, but once I saw the repercussions, I was glad I was able to recall that one. It was as if I'd thrown a bunch of knives at his chest – blood spattered from the six or seven fresh wounds and he surrendered to gravity, letting the thump to his head be his last blow before taking his final breath.

"Sara! Are you alright, love?" Fred shouted skidding to a halt between me and the man I'd just murdered.

"I'm... I'm fine." I couldn't believe what I'd just done. "I..." Fred turned around to see just what I was gawking at. "I killed him, Fred."

"Sara!" he grabbed my hand and pulled me off my feet.

"Fred, what the _bloody hell_ are you...?" But I was interrupted by my own scream. A long, hairy leg had extended through the window and nearly grasped hold of my throat. Had it not been for Fred being so responsive, I would have been an Acromantula's supper.

My cries were louder than I'd hoped, because a group of Death Eaters was soon at the scene. Probably after recognizing my voice, George had followed the Death Eaters. "Oi!" Fred barked at George. "Watch yourself, mate!"

With so many people in one alcove of the castle's corridors, it was hard to keep track of everyone. I had taken on two Death Eaters at once, casting non-verbal spells as fast as I could. I barely felt as though I could tame my wand – the sparks flying out of its tip seemed to have the control over me.

The fight raged on, and I had taken down one of the two Death Eaters that had engaged in a duel with me. I could hardly recognize what was going on, and I did not register the fact that I'd even killed someone else. But the sound of a large explosion brought me back – I heard myself scream again for the umpteenth time. The wall only a few feet away from us had burst, sending dust and rubble in every direction. Pieces of brick scraped across my face, and I could have sworn it drew blood – but after the battle started, it was hard to tell where the blood came from anymore.

Suddenly, a red-haired boy caught my attention. This was not because he screamed my name, or waved his arms, or smiled at me – my attention was caught due to his lack of all three of these things. "Fred!" Even though I was bellowing at the top of my lungs, the volume of the fighting and the smoke dancing in the air blurred my senses. "Fred! Are you alright? Fred!"

The Death Eaters took the opportunity to flee the scene and as the dust settled, I saw George leaning over Fred. "Sara!" George called, drawing me closer to the pair of them. "Sara, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, is Fred...?" I didn't have to ask. My hair whipped into my mouth as I knelt down next to him. Pulling my hair off of my lips, I felt a tear form and quickly fall onto Fred's cheek. "Fred..."

George put his arm over my shoulder and squeezed. That was how Fred comforted me, too. I wonder if they'd picked it up somewhere, or if they could be in tune with their twin senses between worlds. "Sara..."

I shrugged his arm off of me and held Fred's face in my hands. "Fred!" He was smiling; I wish I could be doing the same. Everything was numb. "Fred!" I cried again, kissing a trail around his face, eventually leading to his lips. "Fred, no!" George had to grab my arm just under my shoulder to prevent me from latching to him.

"Sara, we have to go, the Death Eaters!"

"No, Fred!" I wiggled free of his grip and had begun to run at Fred, but George grasped me again and pulled harder.

"We have to go!"

It seemed like everything was moving in slow motion. "Fred!"

George tried to get me to fight, but seeing Fred's limp body sprawled on the floor made me lose all motivation. I didn't care if I was the next to go.

"Sara!" George shouted once we were alone in a corridor. "You cannot give up on me!" My eyes met his and he continued, showing no remorse. "You think I don't want to just lie down and let them take me? That was my brother – my twin brother, Sara!" Tears formed in his big, blue eyes and I couldn't look away. "Stay with me! Fight with me! Fight like he would have wanted you to!"

His words were a hard slap in the face, but I needed to hear them. He would have wanted me to fight – to not have him die without a cause. I nodded once sharply and followed George to the Great Hall; that's where everyone seemed to be going.

Amidst the chaos in the Great Hall, my attention was drawn to one thing in particular. I clearly identified Ginny and Neville at the other end of the Hall, where the Head Table would have been; they were on their knees facing me, knelt over another body. Neville jolted up when he noticed me enter the room. "Sara, I don't want to... I mean, I know it's... but..."

"Neville," George interjected. "Fred just died."

Neville's face sulked and he hugged me as tight as he could. "What happened?"

"Wall exploded, a bit of rubble hit him..." It wasn't easy for George to talk about it either; I appreciated him taking the blow for me – I really did.

"I uh, I need to talk to her." Neville kept his arm around my waist and led me to where Ginny was still bent over a body. "Sara, Ron was in trouble. He was about to be killed, he was standing up to Bellatrix – him and Ginny. And Lizzy didn't want to see them in danger... She got in between 'em. I tried to stop her... Mrs. Weasley got Lestrange. Well, after..."

Ginny's face was sopping wet with her own tears and blood. Beneath her was Lizzy, the twinkle gone from the eyes of her lifeless body.


	9. Fighting Together

Chapter Nine: Fighting Together

"Lizzy!" This could not be happening. It was too damn surreal. I collapsed as my knees gave out and found myself sprawled over Liz's body. "This has to be a dream. She's not gone... _he's_ not gone..." The words stopped coming. A sob choked its way out and then it was like the demons within me had been unleashed. I felt two arms grab me from each side and lift me to my feet.

"Sara," the voice from my left said. "I'm so sorry..." No tears fell – just sobs. I couldn't even force words through their heavy jeers at my body. I knew it was Neville. I figured the other arms belonged to George.

Suddenly, there was a squeal that had overridden all the other screaming in the Great Hall; that squeal got everyone's attention directed at the doors. I just barely understood the high-pitched noise as saying, "Harry!"

A tall, broad figure I could only assume was Hagrid was carrying a young man. If my throat wasn't congested already, it had just become so. I dry heaved and tipped myself fully into Neville's arms. It was Harry alright – he didn't look too excellent, either. Why did everyone I cared for have to do this all at once? It was proving too much for me to handle.

Even Professor McGonagall had stopped throwing curses left and right to stare at the boy in Hagrid's arms. I vaguely noticed her lips move, muttering "Potter..."

All at once, Voldemort strode into the Great Hall. Panic was the first thing I felt – nausea was the second. Everything felt like a dream. He was more terrifying in person than I ever could have imagined: pale, almost white skin with deep red eyes and slits for nostrils. I wondered how many times Harry had seen him, and if he'd ever been this scared.

He spoke, but I was growing dizzy and found it hard to concentrate. I'm sure he was recruiting for Death Eaters or telling us to surrender. Before I could even register what was actually happening, Harry had awoken from his unconscious state putting the Hall in uproar.

"Harry!"

"What the bloody hell?"

"I thought he was _dead_!"

I didn't know what had just happened and I wasn't sure why – I couldn't move from Neville's arms, and even that didn't last long. No sooner had Harry seemingly raised from the dead than Neville hastily pushed my weight onto Fred – I mean, George – and ran at the snake by Voldemort's side. I hadn't even noticed Neville was wielding a ruby encrusted sword. It didn't take him long to howl and destroy Voldemort's slimy pet.

Immediately, the Hall had formed a circle around Harry and Voldemort, which apparently Fred – bloody hell, I mean George – had dragged me into.

Their conversation seemed to last a lot longer to those who hadn't the foggiest of what they were discussing, but at one point Voldemort flourished his wand and I knew something was about to happen.

"_Avada Kedavera_!"

Harry, who already had his wand pointed at Voldemort, bellowed, "_Expelliarmus_!" simultaneously. The flash of light that blinded the entire room was immense. I can't exactly speak for anyone else, but I was sure I did not know what to expect. The killing curse could not be out-performed by a disarming spell – could it?

George held me in his arms like I was Katie. I held back like he was Fred. This could very well be our last minutes on earth – at least we were with someone we cared very much for. To everyone's surprise, Harry arose from the rubble with a confused look on his face. He must have had some idea why he survived and his spell sent the killing curse back at Voldemort... but all the rest of us knew was that Voldemort was dead. He was dead for good this time.

I was so proud to be surrounded by who I called friends and that we'd participated in a war that will forever have changed the Wizarding world – but at what cost? Fred and Lizzy, the two people I relied on most to be there for me, who I knew would be there until the end of the world, were dead.

A group of us stood on a hill just beside the Burrow in Ottery St. Catchpole. Atop that hill were two gravestones: one for Fred, the other for Lizzy. We barely let any space between our bodies, using each other for warmth, which was quite unnecessary in the humid June air, but we were craving a different kind of warmth – warmth that couldn't be provided by the pale yellow sky hiding beneath the dark clouds, nor warmth that a billowing flame could have offered.

"At least they died for a cause." I managed to squeak out, hoping I would get some praise for my attempt at optimism.

Hermione beamed from my right side and laid her head on my shoulder. "They volunteered for this too, you know," she pointed out. "It's not your fault."

"I know, I just can't help but..."

"Sara, she's right." Neville, on my other side, had put his arm around my waist and squeezed it tightly to him. "There was nothing you could have done. They fought for their lives, but they also fought for yours."

I gave George a backward glance and we both managed a smile. "We have really selfless siblings; don't we, George?"

"That we do, Sara – that we do," he nodded slowly.

Ron's chest rose and fell heavily as he took a long breath. "Do you all mind if I have some time alone with Fred?" Everyone verbally agreed somehow, gave him a hug and made their way back toward the Burrow. "Uh, Sara, I'd like for you to stay."

As George, Hermione, Harry, Neville and Luna walked single file down the not-too-steep hill, I let my nerves get the best of me. I'd never had a one-on-one talk with Ron before, I was curious as to what he needed me for. "What is it, Ron?"

I expected him to talk to me about Fred, seeing as how he wasn't around when it happened. I was shocked to hear him start talking about a different topic. "Sara, it was my fault."

"What was your fault?"

"Lizzy... she... the fact that she's... it was my fault. Merlin, I feel like a prat, Sara; I really do."

"Ron, slow down. What the bloody hell are you talking about?"

He inhaled deeply again and took a step closer to me, as though if he whispered it, it wouldn't seem so bad. "She sacrificed herself for me! She saw I was in danger and took a bloody curse for me!" Ron's eyes started to water, but he refused to let any tears fall. "I would never have done that for her – we'd all like to think we would, but secretly, deep down, we know we wouldn't – and she did it for me. No one gave her enough credit, especially me. I know it won't change anything, but I guess I'm apologizing for treating her like she was worthless."

Ron wasn't letting any tears fall, but I was crying enough for the both of us – the only difference was he was pouting, and I had a huge smile on my face. "Ron, you never did treat her like a friend... and we all know she wanted more than that. It was her decision and now you know what you mean... er, meant to her. But I wouldn't blame you for that – you can't like everyone, right?" He still looked apologetic. "Look, you're as much responsible for Lizzy's death as I am Fred's." Suddenly, Ron's eyes widened, but I kept talking. "We were fighting together and he kept checking up to see I was okay. That's when he got struck by the wall falling down."

"But that's not your fault, Sara. You didn't _tell_ him to..." Then it clicked. "Oh, I get it. Thanks, mate."

"And hey..." I put my arm around him, which actually grew into a really rigid hug. Neither of us wanted to see the other one cry. I fingered the engagement ring on my finger and sighed through a sob, "I'm really sorry about Fred. I really am."

His face was buried in my long hair, but I could distinctly hear him say, "Me too."

**Author's Note**: Just because Fred's died doesn't mean this fic is over. There is still one more addition to the story; keep an eye out for 'She Talks to Rainbows' – a story about Sara and her friends after the war! I hope you enjoyed _It's Not Over Before It's Too Late_!


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